Funds are requested for partial support of the 2001 Gordon Research Conference on Developmental Biology (Marianne Bronner-Fraser and Mark Krasnow co-organizers). This Gordon Conference has long been recognized as the major meeting in Developmental Biology, bringing 150 outstanding senior and junior scientists for discussions of the recent advances in the field of development and cell differentiation. A major advantage of the Gordon Research Conference on Developmental Biology over its nearly three decade history is that it intentionally spans a wide variety of experimental systems. The speakers chosen represent not only some of the most active groups, but also individuals with the capacity to generate useful discussion of their own and other topics. The concept of the meeting has been not to try to cover the field thinly, but to pick areas of exceptional activity or promise. Each of the nine major sessions are designed to present specific classes of phenomena important in the development of a wide variety of different organisms. By bringing together scientists working with different developmental systems and experimental approaches, the presentations and discussions naturally lead to a more critical analysis of the results, as well as new questions about the underlying mechanisms. A second major advantage of the Gordon Conference is its geographical isolation, keeping participants in close proximity for five days of discussion without the distractions of nearby ski-slopes or cities. The conference format will consist of short talks (15-20 minutes) followed by discussion (10 minutes minimum), on topics ranging from early axis formation and cell signaling to evolution and gene regulation. A significant fraction of the session time will be kept uncommitted until near the time of the conference to assure that the latest-emerging work can be presented at the meeting. By maximizing both formal discussion and informal interactions the Gordon Conference on Developmental Biology should help to define both the present state and future of the field.